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Pic.: Chetna Shetty For some days, 18-year-old Ashwin, a student of our
on-going PD course, had been persuading me to play in the class a BBC documentary-film
titled ‘HIROSHIMA. “Sir, it’s a must watch,” he kept telling me, “I was moved
watching it.” Last
morning, I watched it on my computer, and, yes, it was, in deed, very moving. On
one side, you feel angry at the blind, adamant and insensitive military chief
of Japan....
Even after the dreaded Nazi force of Germany
surrendered, Japan refused
to... and, all calls and threats from the Allied forces, particularly, America,
failed. America had entered
the long-drawn Second World-War only after she was provoked by the horrible
attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor. And, now, in spite of all the devastation wrought
upon Japan, and even though Germany and
other nations had surrendered to the Allies, Japan had remained ruthlessly
adamant... So, as a last resort, America did what it did: history’s
first - and pray it will be the last - atom bomb a…

Pic.Rajiv SharmaPauses do to
our speech what punctuations do to our writing. “They make a hell of a
difference,” I often, yell before our Public-Speaking students, “Use them well to
convey the desired message with the right impact.” Invariably, I write on the
board, what the Professor in a popular anecdote had done:“Woman without
her man is nothing.”“Now, punctuate this,” I give them a minute.Yes, our young-gentlemen in the class do it
this way:“Woman,
without her man, is nothing.”And, our young-ladies know how they have to
punctuate:“Woman:
without her, man is nothing!”A hell of a difference? That depends on who
you are: a gentle-man or a gentle-lady!And, just now,
a friend of mine, Kavin, had shared with all his FB friends, this anecdote
about President Obama and his wife Michelle. One night President
Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a
casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious.When they were seated, the owner of the rest…

Pic.: Rajiv Sharma Two days ago, an eleven-year old joined our on-going
PD course for Pre-teens. This boy came from a well-off family. Both parents
were educated. He went to one of the best ICSC schools. Yet, here in our class,
I found him very restless. He was intelligent and articulate, but, the problem
was his inappropriate behavior in the class... He would indulge in every kind
of negative-attention-seeking behavior. Other students would find it extremely
repulsive and I had quite a task in hand to make them understand as to why this
boy would take some time to settle down... So, they did their best to put up
with all his irritating behavior... For
me, all were alike... Because the boy needed help, their parents had entrusted
their little boy into my hands. So, I had a huge responsibility... of not
over-reacting to this boy’s, almost, eccentric behavior in the class. I blew
hot and blew cold... kept gently, firmly and angrily reminding him about what
was expected of him. But, the od…

Pic.: Rajiv Sharma Today, during our PD session, the young-ones were
talking about their special interests and hobbies. Dhaksh had just attended a
week-long photography workshop under a well-known photographer. He shared with
us: how he got interested in photography and what it took to be a good
photographer. “You need a creative eye,” he said,” You need a very sensitive observation
and a good sense of timing.” Samvit
loved to play hokey. He told us how he got into it... and, about the kind of practice
he had to do to be a competitive hockey-player... He shared with us about the injuries
he had sustained - and caused on others, too - all while playing... and, why he
still loved playing hockey. Abhinav,
the tallest lad in the class, was a passionate basket-ball player. He recounted
his story: how he started liking it... the kind of practice he had do... How, apart
from Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, some other Greats had inspired him to
play basket ball... and, above all, he told us, h…

Pic.: Chetna Shetty Immediately after the Mumbai Indians clinched
the sensational victory against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhade stadium, last night,
I saw on TV this tweet from Amitabh Bachchan.

WHAT A GAME ! NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE! Mumbai Indians at start of IPL had been written
off... BUT! What a comeback!

I was watching this match
with my dad-in-law. He was just discharged from the hospital a couple of days
ago; and, normally, he goes off to bed quite early. But, last night, the match
was so compelling, that he watched it till Aditya Tare blasted his last-ball-six...
He was on his wheel-chair, trying to stand up... while, I couldn’t get myself
to sit! Yes, it was unbelievable...
Yes, impossible is just another word... Yes, anything can be possible in the
game of cricket... Yes, Faith can, in deed, move mountains and calm down the
stormy seas! Aditya Tare wasn’t born
when a similar dramatic scene had brought the entire cricket-loving world to a
standstill: It was the legend…

Pic.: Barkha Manik When I was about seven-to-eight years of age, we had
this very popular parish-priest by the name Fr. Robert Pinto. He was very
dynamic and, always, gave very impressive sermons. During the children’s mass
on Sundays, he, really, would get down to our size and touch our little hearts
with his inspiring stories. As our parents would, also, be present during this
mass, often, his stories would send them home, too, a lot inspired and humbled.
I still remember one story that he had told us, which has still stayed not only
in my mind, but in my mom’s mind, too. Yes, even after, nearly, five decades! It is the day one of the dreaded
criminals of the times is brought to the gallows... to be hanged in the public
square. Hundreds of people have come there to witness the sight. The judge asks, “Do you have any last wish to fulfill?” “Yes, I do,” replies the criminal, without even blinking inside his
blind-fold, “I want to say something to my mother.” The elderly mother is brought …

'Passionate about Life.'... That's how I see myself. For me, the term 'passion' has a special meaning. It is living life with its totality... With all its hues and confusions, with all its triumphs and defeats.
I consider myself as a little kid, still groping in the dark -- trying to find a way out of this great maze. Sometimes, I wonder: whether there is a way out at all? Whether the maze itself is the way?
Thus, as a kid awe-struck by this amazing mystery called LIFE, I have a lot to share with my fellow kids. I believe, it would be an exciting and fulfilling journey, each morning...
I am, indeed, looking forward to each dawn, with fresh eyes... And my fresh note to share...
Love,
GERALD D'CUNHA